WHAT REDUCETARIANS CAN LEARN FROM OLYMPIANS

Written by Dalton Sweet

With the Rio Olympics drawing to a close this past weekend, many of us have been left with a vision of Olympic athletes that make them seem like super humans. They train constantly and sacrifice everything to reach peak physical shape and achieve their dreams. It turns out, however, even they aren’t perfect. Despite an overall healthy lifestyle, they occasionally give into food cravings. In Rio, long lines of Olympians could be found at none other than McDonald’s. They were going for a variety of reasons, from celebrating victories to breaking up the monotony of their diet. (It also doesn't hurt that McDonald’s was feeding them for free.)

Regardless of their reasoning, the fittest humans in the world have proven that perfection isn’t necessary. You can occasionally eat McDonald’s, just like you can occasionally eat meat. Give into cravings in some situations, while reducing meat consumption in others. Continue eating your favorite restaurant’s steak, but substitute eggplant for meatballs in your weekly pasta dish. Save that bacon and eggs breakfast for the weekends, and try to eat cereal, oatmeal, or toast instead on weekdays. Just be conscious of your choices and be as committed as you can!

Just think: what can you realistically reduce right now? Any and every step you take away from meat will improve your health, the environment, and animals’ lives.